Throttle-adjusting device and safety lock



Aug. 21, 1923.

L. CHRISTMAS THROTTLE ADJUSTING DEVICE AND SAFETY LOCK Filed Feb. 23. 1922 Patented Aug. 21, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEE CHRISTMAS, OF GUATEMALA, GUATEMALA.

THROTTLE-ADJUSTING DEVICE AND SAFETY LOCK.

Applicat on filed February 23, 1922. Serial No. 538,602.

lovers of sit-uni locomo ives.

An important object of the invention is to provide mcuus whereby, when the throttlc 1S oily loclnul and mount nc mowd except by int: cuginccr or othcr opcrn'tivc.

As an additional objcch the invention contemplates the provision of a. safcty throttle lcvcr with an adjustable quadrant permitting minute. lover adjustments to be obtained, hcsidcs affording moans for maintaining the lcvcr in any position in which previously sci.

v'fith lhcsc and othcr objcrts in View, which will become nppnrcnt as he description procccds. tllc invention rcsidcs in the construction, combination and urrongcmcnt of parts, hereinafter more fully described nod claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which likcol bractcrs of reference indicate like parts throughout :Foc sever-iii figures, of which:

Fig. l is a side View of a throttlcdcvcr embodying the invention;

Fig. 5;, a top view thereof, and

Fig. 3. an cnd visw of the quadrant shown dciochcd, from the lever.

In describing the invention in detail, indicates the quadrant to which is fulcrumcd, as at ii, a throttle lcvcr 12. This quadrant con'ipriscs a normally fixed body portion A and a movable end portion B; the latter being notched as at 13, to providc quadrant teeth. A latch 14, similarly ooh-lied for cngagcmcnt with tho quadrant tccth. is mounted adjacent lever 12 for longitudinal ndjustmcnt. and has n stcni 15 slidin 3 guide bearing 16. This latch is d against the quadrant to hold the i .r it? position by it spring 17 coilcd shout tho guidc stout as shown.

dhcn thc. lover is positioned as in Figure l, the throttle is intended to be closed, thereby cutting otl the steam from the cylinders oi the locomotivc. It. frcqucntly happens, howcvcr, due either to the carelessness of the last one handling the locomotive in not.

ood, the throttle icvcr bccomcs automati properly closin the throttle, or to a leaky throttle that thcro may be such an accumulation of steam us to ovcrbalancc the throttle lever, especially if the teeth of the quadrant be worn, and to release the engine, the runninq away of which is usually attendant with great loss of life and damage 'to propert- To prevent such an occurrence, lever 12 is equipped with on automatic safety lock including a pin 18 at one end of a flat strip 19 which has its other end bent over a movable wed e block 20 and hinged to the lever at 21. lock 20 is conncctml to latch 14 from the opposite side of the lever by a bolt 22 which works back and forth in lever slot 23 and extends beyond strip 19 to support coil spring 24. Stri 19 is pressed inwardly by the spring whic tends to force pin 18 through an opening in the lever so that it will engage in notch 25 of the quadrant when the throttle is closed. \Vhen so engaged, movement of the lever in a forward or throttic-opening direction is prohibited. This pin-lock is automatic in operation and is engaged or released by movement of ivotcd hand clasp 213 and latch lever 27. W hen latch lever is shifted to unseatlatch 14, block .20 moves toward the hinged end of strip 19, moving the latter outwardly to dislodge pin 18 and! releasing the throttle. \Vhcn the lover is shifted rcarwardly to close the throttle and the hand clasp is released, strip 19 moves inwardly under pressure of spring 24 as the block recedes and pin 18 reengagcs notch 25.

Should the teeth on quadrant 10 and latch 14 strike on end and not seat when the lever is set to give just the quantity of steam that tho engineer wishes, notched part B of the quadrant may be adjusted sufliciently to seat, the teeth, thereby rendering it unnecessary for the engineer to hold the lever in place, as at present, or to adjust it one notch more or less. This adjustment is attached by means of a screw bolt 28 turning in a nut 29 which is attached to quadrant part B. Lugs 30 on one side of the quadrant provide suitable bearings for the bolt which is also equipped with a hand wheel 31 for obtaining mlnuto adjustments.

By rotating the bolt to the right or left, the notched end B of the quadrant is adjustable crosswise of quadrant bodv A in either direction. Hence, when the lever is in any set position, the quadrant. may be readily adjusted to engage and maintain the lever 111 the position in which set and when it is required to increase or diminish the steam supply only a trifle and without unlatching the lever, the latter can be adjusted bodily by merely rotating the bolt a distance of one or more threads or a fraction thereof as desired.

In practice, I have found that the form of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawingsand referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most eliicicnt and practical; yet realizing that conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize that various minor; changes as to form of construction, proportion and arrangement of arts may be resorted to within the scope 0? the appended claims without departing from or sacrificing any of the principles of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, and without enumerating variations and equivalents, what I desire protected by Letters Patent is as set forth in the following claims.

1. The combination with a locomotive throttle lever, a rack, a safety device coacting with the rack and comprising a stationary element having an opening or notch therein and a member carried by the lever adapted to automatically enga e in said opening or notch when the lever 18 in throttle closing position.

2. The combination with a throttle lever; of a throttle quadrant embod ing body and face portions, a catch carrie by the lever for enga ment with the teeth of the quadrant, an a spring pressed locking member CBIIlBd by the lever adapted to automatically engage in a hole or notch formed in the quadrant when thelever is in throttle closing position, whereby inadvertent movement of the lever from such position will be prevented even though the rack and catch may not be properly on d.

3. The combination with a throttle lever,

of a support to which the iever is pivoted, a rack having a movable face portion carried by the support, a catch carried by the lever engageable with the rack to hold the lever in adjusted position, a safety lock comprising a sprin pressed projection carried by the lever a apted to automatically engage in a hole or notch in the support when the lever is in throttle closing position, and a single controlling member connected with said catch and locking projection to provide for the retraction thereof when it is desired to ad iust the lever.

4. The combination of an :iil iuslnhle lover, a catch carried by the lever, a rack compris ing body and face portions, means carried by the body portion comrfting: with means carried by the face portion to effect their relative adjustment to permit proper en' gagement of the catch with the face portion in any adjustment of the lever;

5. The combination of an adjustable lever, a catch carried by the lever, a rack compris ing body and face portions, screw means carried by the body portion for engagement with means carried by the face portion to effect transverse movement of the face portion to permit proper adjustment of he catch with the face portion in any adjust ment of the lever.

6. The combination of an adjustable iercr, a catch carried by the lever, a rack comprisin body and face portions, the end of the boi ly portion being grooved and the end of the face portion presenting a rib or tongue for slidable engagement with the groove and means carried by the body iortion f engagement with means carried by the fa 3 portion to effect their relative adjustment a permit proper engagement of the catch with the face portion in any adjustment of the lever.

LEE CHRISTMAS. Witnesses:

HENRY T. DWYER, BURDE'ITE B. Buss. 

